The Energon Pub

Pretty obvious they'll be doing a Red Alert figure somewhere down the line with this mold. Either as an attendee figure, custom class, or sub 3.0. No doubt it's coming.

As far as a gun or hook goes for Cannonball I don't see why they wouldn't use another Arms Micron now that they can use them. Heck, the mold they use for Catgut in sub 2.0 is basically a hook and already has a peg on the end making a great match for Cannonball. There's also Zori which would make a great (and long) gun hand. There's a bunch of axes and swords they can use, even a jousting lance, perfect for the Knights side.

Emerje

The pictures are their property, they can do what they want with them.

Sabrblade wrote:

Emerje wrote:Pretty obvious they'll be doing a Red Alert figure somewhere down the line with this mold. Either as an attendee figure, custom class, or sub 3.0. No doubt it's coming.

If it is, it's not anytime in the near future, according to Pete Sinclair:

Pete@BotCon wrote:No plans for Red Alert...

Sure, maybe not this year, maybe not even next year, but there's no way they're letting this opportunity go to waste. I'm sure they said the same thing about G1 Breakdown. That one took three years to get out.

Emerje

Rated X wrote:When TFCC mails out their magazine, they are publicly releasing it. Begging the members that get it first because they live in texas not to show the pages online is a bunch of crap. Were not talking about stolen samples here. As the consumer, I cant support this secret santa style of promoting upcoming figures. Its like they dont take their fanbase seriously, our money spent is all fun and games to them. Were not kids, were adults with cash so show us the goods.

Makes sense to me. You paid for the magazine, so once it's in your hands you're free to do whatever w/ it, that includes posting scans of the contents, and the seller can't say a damn thing. And if they do, you can simply say "No".

That is unless it's a private retailer catalog, but obviously the TFCC mags are not.

That's not how copyright laws work, unfortunately. Yes, fans could scan or take a photo and post it, but if we as a site were to make it into news, we'd be incurring into copyright infringement. As njb said, above. And we'd have problems, then the fan who scanned it would have problems. Working relathionships would be compromised, even without legal consequences, and we wouldn't have anything to show in the future.

On the other hand, as Burn says, the easiest way to avoid all of this is simply to make it available in both digital and hard copy - since not all members live in the same city, state, country, or even continent.

Va'al wrote:On the other hand, as Burn says, the easiest way to avoid all of this is simply to make it available in both digital and hard copy - since not all members live in the same city, state, country, or even continent.

When I was a member I'd have to wait up anyway from 3-4 weeks for my copy to turn up. By then it was pointless to join in the discussion on the forums.

Va'al wrote:That's not how copyright laws work, unfortunately. Yes, fans could scan or take a photo and post it, but if we as a site were to make it into news, we'd be incurring into copyright infringement. As njb said, above. And we'd have problems, then the fan who scanned it would have problems. Working relathionships would be compromised, even without legal consequences, and we wouldn't have anything to show in the future.

On the other hand, as Burn says, the easiest way to avoid all of this is simply to make it available in both digital and hard copy - since not all members live in the same city, state, country, or even continent.

True, but that doesn't make the spreading of restricted access material any less illegal. The magazine still counts as restricted as the customer is still paying for permission to access the contents within, and as the Hasbro keeps the copyright, spreading it without their permission is automatically made illegal.
As such, the images don't fall under Fair Use (not Public Domain with all copyrights abandoned) until Hasbro lifts the restriction by releasing it via a free public medium. That's what it all boils down to.

People don't really understand that when you buy a magazine you aren't buying the content inside, just the right to view it and ownership of the paper it's printed on. The content is still the property of the copyright holders and publishers, the law sides with them. It's their right to say how their content is used and if they say no scanning then no scanning.

As far as putting out a digital version, I'm not sure if Fun Pub cares about us as Transformers fans enough to do that. I mean, they removed our member's only section of the site and forum, while the G.I.Joe club still has their forum.

Emerje

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Va'al wrote:That's not how copyright laws work, unfortunately. Yes, fans could scan or take a photo and post it, but if we as a site were to make it into news, we'd be incurring into copyright infringement. As njb said, above. And we'd have problems, then the fan who scanned it would have problems. Working relathionships would be compromised, even without legal consequences, and we wouldn't have anything to show in the future.

On the other hand, as Burn says, the easiest way to avoid all of this is simply to make it available in both digital and hard copy - since not all members live in the same city, state, country, or even continent.

True, but that doesn't make the spreading of restricted access material any less illegal. The magazine still counts as restricted as the customer is still paying for permission to access the contents within, and as the Hasbro keeps the copyright, spreading it without their permission is automatically made illegal.
As such, the images don't fall under Fair Use (not Public Domain with all copyrights abandoned) until Hasbro lifts the restriction by releasing it via a free public medium. That's what it all boils down to.

Emerje wrote:People don't really understand that when you buy a magazine you aren't buying the content inside, just the right to view it and ownership of the paper it's printed on. The content is still the property of the copyright holders and publishers, the law sides with them. It's their right to say how their content is used and if they say no scanning then no scanning.

Very true, on both points.

I do think that making the magazine available digitally and in print format might be an incentive for people not in the US to subscribe, though. Meaning everyone could have a discussion about the contents at the same time, rather than, as Burn mentioned, having to pass on it because your copy still hasn't arrived.

Va'al wrote:I do think that making the magazine available digitally and in print format might be an incentive for people not in the US to subscribe, though. Meaning everyone could have a discussion about the contents at the same time, rather than, as Burn mentioned, having to pass on it because your copy still hasn't arrived.

I'd be all for that, were it not for people thinking that "once something's on the internet, it's free!" Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Va'al wrote:I do think that making the magazine available digitally and in print format might be an incentive for people not in the US to subscribe, though. Meaning everyone could have a discussion about the contents at the same time, rather than, as Burn mentioned, having to pass on it because your copy still hasn't arrived.

I'd be all for that, were it not for people thinking that "once something's on the internet, it's free!" Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine.

Everything should be free! Especially if I didn't have to pay to have it made!

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Va'al wrote:That's not how copyright laws work, unfortunately. Yes, fans could scan or take a photo and post it, but if we as a site were to make it into news, we'd be incurring into copyright infringement. As njb said, above. And we'd have problems, then the fan who scanned it would have problems. Working relathionships would be compromised, even without legal consequences, and we wouldn't have anything to show in the future.

On the other hand, as Burn says, the easiest way to avoid all of this is simply to make it available in both digital and hard copy - since not all members live in the same city, state, country, or even continent.

True, but that doesn't make the spreading of restricted access material any less illegal. The magazine still counts as restricted as the customer is still paying for permission to access the contents within, and as the Hasbro keeps the copyright, spreading it without their permission is automatically made illegal.
As such, the images don't fall under Fair Use (not Public Domain with all copyrights abandoned) until Hasbro lifts the restriction by releasing it via a free public medium. That's what it all boils down to.

Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that Fun Pub made it's customers sign an NDA for a magazine that is sold to the PUBLIC.
(sarcasm intended of course)

Actually it's not sold to the public. It's sold to a private group.

Regardless, it's not uncommon for Marvel to order websites to remove scans of their comics or face legal action. Why? Well because it's ILLEGAL to be giving away scans of comics.

Manterax Prime wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Va'al wrote:That's not how copyright laws work, unfortunately. Yes, fans could scan or take a photo and post it, but if we as a site were to make it into news, we'd be incurring into copyright infringement. As njb said, above. And we'd have problems, then the fan who scanned it would have problems. Working relathionships would be compromised, even without legal consequences, and we wouldn't have anything to show in the future.

On the other hand, as Burn says, the easiest way to avoid all of this is simply to make it available in both digital and hard copy - since not all members live in the same city, state, country, or even continent.

True, but that doesn't make the spreading of restricted access material any less illegal. The magazine still counts as restricted as the customer is still paying for permission to access the contents within, and as the Hasbro keeps the copyright, spreading it without their permission is automatically made illegal.
As such, the images don't fall under Fair Use (not Public Domain with all copyrights abandoned) until Hasbro lifts the restriction by releasing it via a free public medium. That's what it all boils down to.

Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that Fun Pub made it's customers sign an NDA for a magazine that is sold to the PUBLIC.
(sarcasm intended of course)

You just have to have a basic understanding of what a copyright, patent, and trademark are.

Burn wrote:Actually it's not sold to the public. It's sold to a private group.

Ok, back to being serious.

How is it a private group it's sold to when anyone w/ the money to do so can subscribe to the club? Seems pretty public to me.

Manterax Prime wrote:

Burn wrote:Actually it's not sold to the public. It's sold to a private group.

Ok, back to being serious.

How is it a private group it's sold to when anyone w/ the money to do so can subscribe to the club? Seems pretty public to me.

You just answered the question: it's sold to members of the club. Not to people in the streets. In fact, it's being sold. Not given out. Just because anyone can join a club, it doesn't mean that you are then free to distribute that club's material to non-members. It's the whole point of being in a club!



Further, they apparently just said that overseas members will not be receiving a copy, because the printers didn't produce the required number of issues.

Manterax Prime wrote:

Burn wrote:Actually it's not sold to the public. It's sold to a private group.

Ok, back to being serious.

How is it a private group it's sold to when anyone w/ the money to do so can subscribe to the club? Seems pretty public to me.

If it was public it would be readily available at a number of locations.

It's only available through the club. Additionally, you don't actually buy it, it's free as part of the subscription package.

Meaning if you don't have a subscription, you have no other way to acquire it legally. Hence, private.

Manterax Prime wrote:

Burn wrote:Actually it's not sold to the public. It's sold to a private group.

Ok, back to being serious.

How is it a private group it's sold to when anyone w/ the money to do so can subscribe to the club? Seems pretty public to me.

You just own the physical magazine, not the content inside.

Va'al wrote:Further, they apparently just said that overseas members will not be receiving a copy, because the printers didn't produce the required number of issues.

WTF? How can they be this incompetent? They know how many members they have, they put the order in. It's plain and simple.

Of course they'll blame the printers for "not producing the required number of issues". Typical FunPub buck passing.

Burn wrote:

Va'al wrote:Further, they apparently just said that overseas members will not be receiving a copy, because the printers didn't produce the required number of issues.

WTF? How can they be this incompetent? They know how many members they have, they put the order in. It's plain and simple.

Of course they'll blame the printers for "not producing the required number of issues". Typical FunPub buck passing.

Is the magazine actually specified in the contract? If so I'd be demanding my money back.

njb902 wrote:

Burn wrote:

Va'al wrote:Further, they apparently just said that overseas members will not be receiving a copy, because the printers didn't produce the required number of issues.

WTF? How can they be this incompetent? They know how many members they have, they put the order in. It's plain and simple.

Of course they'll blame the printers for "not producing the required number of issues". Typical FunPub buck passing.

Is the magazine actually specified in the contract? If so I'd be demanding my money back.

I'm just checking how the information was found out. Not sure why I've only heard one person say this.